The material presented as background material in this section of the specification is not necessarily prior art.
Lithium metal is considered as an ideal anode material for rechargeable lithium batteries because of its low voltage potential, its high specific capacity (3860 mAh/g, 2062 mAh/ml), and the resultant high energy density. Anode materials such as LiC6 and Li3.75Si have much lower related properties. But the lithium metal anode has to function in combination with a suitable electrolyte and retain its properties after repeated cycling of the cell in which it is working. Many different combinations of lithium electrolyte salts and non-aqueous solvents have been used and investigated. Often, the resulting cell compositions function such that the lithium metal anode is damaged as it is repeatedly plated with lithium and stripped of lithium, and the function of the cell is compromised and diminished. There remains a need for an improved electrolyte solvent for use in combinations of lithium metal anode materials with an electrolyte salt.